U.S., Canada win World Championship openers

Helsinki, Finland (Sports Network) - The United States and Canada were among
the winners Saturday in the 2013 World Hockey Championship.

The Americans rallied from a two-goal deficit and claimed a 5-3 win over
Austria in their opener, while the Canadians spotted Denmark the first goal
before capturing a 3-1 decision.

Erik Johnson scored twice during a four-goal second period for the U.S. Tim
Stapleton, Aaron Palushaj and David Moss also scored for the Americans in the
Group H opener of the preliminary round. Ben Bishop stopped 18 shots in the
victory.

The U.S. trailed 2-1 after the first period, but Johnson scored just 3:38 into
the second to tie it and Stapleton put the Americans ahead at the 9:31 mark
before Palushaj made it 4-2 just 1:26 later.

After David Schuller scored on a breakaway for Austria, Johnson found the back
of the net again on a power play with 1:28 remaining in the second to restore
a two-goal bulge. The Austrians managed just two shots in a scoreless third
period.

Austria scored a pair of goals just a minute apart and led 2-0 just over 5 1/2
minutes into the game, but Moss cashed in a power play midway through the
first to start the U.S. comeback.

Matt Duchene netted a pair of goals for Canada in its Group S opener. Steven
Stamkos also scored and Devan Dubnyk made 24 saves in the victory.

The Danes picked up the lone goal of the first period when Morten Green
converted a power play at the 4:50 mark, but Duchene and Stamkos scored 1:23
apart midway through the second period to put the Canadians in front.

Duchene added his second of the game at 7:03 of the third and Dubnyk turned
aside 11 shots in the final stanza.

Former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is guiding Team Canada, which is
playing in Stockholm, Sweden. In other Group S play on Saturday, Norway topped
Slovenia, 3-1.

Joe Sacco, recently fired as coach of the Colorado Avalanche, is in charge of
the American team in Helsinki. Russia also prevailed in Group H on Saturday
with a 6-0 rout of Latvia.